Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-22
IRELAND'S UP HILL FIGHT
TIE GOVERNMENTS PLANS ALI
OUT AND DRIED.

| LONDON, Feb. 81. "A conference of the
Conservative party was held to-day at the
Foreign Office. The conference was
largely attended by members of both
houses. The meeting lasted half an hour.
The Marquis of Salisbury reached the
conference promptly, accompanied by Mr..
Goschen. Both were cheered heartily.
The Premier in his address to the con-
| ference referred feelingly TO the late
Earl of lddesleigh and The loss the gov
ernment incurred by reason of his death.
The Marquis also dwelt on the secession
| from the government of Lord Churchill,
which the speaker described as "a con-
siderable loss to the party" MIR. Gosch-
ems acceptance CT office under the pres
ent government, the Premier said, has
strengthened the Conservative party.
AT A CRITICAL POINT.
"After marking time for month";" con
tinued the Marquis, 'we have arrived at
serious business. | hope the government
| Will be able, by referring the rules Of pro-
| cedure, to restore to the House of Com
mons it's capacity for work and its repu-
tation for courtesy, after which we shall
be aDle to deal with the question Of local
government in Ireland and with other
| said, 1.-The present law will be sufficient
to enable the authorities to cope success
fully with the disorder in Ireland.
PREFERENCE FOR PROCEDURE.
In any case all bills will be postponed
until after the conclusion of the proceed
ings for reform of the procedure rules
and action on the estimates The gov
ernment expect to present the budget
during the first week in April. The
Marquis predicted a long lease Of office
for the Conservatives. Several members
urged the government to introduce IN
Parliament n local government bill for
England, Scotland and Wales, the pro-
visions of which should be extended 10
Ireland.
Edward DeListe, Conservative member
for Middle Leicestershire, spoke, saying
| that as Roman Catholic Conservative
ne denounced the conduct OF Archbishop
Croke, of Ireland. in openly encouraging
the conduct OF the Irish National League.
and said he would like TO have the Arch
bishop tried for this conduct by Jury OF
English Catholics in London. This state
ment provoked great enthusiasm in the
conference,
SUPPRESSION OF THE LEAGUE.
Lord Salisbury in bis official report to
| the conference, referring to Ireland, said
they were told that they ought to pro.
claim the National League. 1t was per-
| fectly open to him to assent to the issue
of such a proclamation, but unless the
| government had a law to enforce il,
proclamation would be per-
! tectly Ineffective. When the
| Gladstone government proclaimed
the Land League the nabeas corpus act
was suspended, and the government had
| the power TO imprison any one disobeying
| It's commands. The present government
had no such power. it must act within
the law of the United Kingdom, and at
| present there was no efficient instrument
with which to deale with yelled re-
| bellion. Their first Irish busi-
! ness would be to strengthen
| the present law. The state of Ireland
was certainly serious ana it was also
| novel. Their rebellion was carried out
| by means of a systematized fraud recon-
mended by the highest religious teachers
of the people. In such state OF things
| they must be prepared to apply remedies
! suitable to the present time.
Major Saunderson expressed. on behalf
lsOf the Loyalists of Ireland, unbounded
| confidence in the Prime Minister. He
urged that as soon as the question Of pro-
cedure rules was disposed of the govern
ment deal with the firmest hand with the
Irish malcontents. Other members spoke
TO the same effect.
| IN FAVOR OF REPRESSION.
The temper of the conference was dis
tnctly in favor of Irish repression, and
this was only appeased by Lord Sails.
| bury's promise that as soon as the new
| procedure rules were adopted coercion
| would follow. The leading argument OF
the others was that the adoption OF
the procedure rules was the nrst step
toward putting a stop to Irish obstruc-
tive tactics in Parliament and strength
ening the action of the executive in Ire-
| land.
Mr.. Chamberlain and others who are
opposed to the cloture procedures threat
ened to revolt, but were cowed by Lord
Salisbury's declaration that the Ministry
| would resign unless the COnservat i've
party continued solid The vote of the
conference resulted in its absolute sub
ordination TO the leaders.
THE FIRST RESOLUTION MOVED.
In the House of Commons this evening
| W. IL. Smith, First Lord OF the Treasury,
| in moving the first OF the procedure
resolutions, appealed 10 the House to
maintain the dignity of Parliament and
vindicate the authority of its own pro-
ceedings. The new rules, he said, would
make the authority OF the Speaker abso-
lutte. He believed the House had full
| confidence in the discretion and Judgment
| Of the Speaker. Iii the judicial position
which he occupied he would safely guard
the interest OF the minorItles and pre-
serve the rights OF the majorities. Unless
the first resolution, comforting upon the
| Speaker the power OF clOture, was
| passed, IL would be impossible TO obtain
reforms. The Speaker had at present
only the power Of expressing an opinion
as to the time debate should terminate.
| What the government now proposed was
that when any member moved cloture
| the Speaker shall be EN- powered to take
| the vote OF the House. The appointment
of standing committees to deal with
special business, and the conferring of In
creased power upon tho Speaker with
| reference TO questions OF adjournment,
were also among the proposed reforms.
GLADSTONE CRITICIsEs.
Mr.. Gladstone said the matter OF pro-
cedure reforms uphold nobody. Treated
| as party question, he doubted the wis
dom OF placing the subject of procedure
in the van OF all other business. He
doubted also whether the House would
get through with the procedure rules
without modifying the Speakers recent
ruling that no subject could be discussed
II there was notice on paper OF a motion
relating 10 the same subject. Irish
cheers. IL was idle TO expect to assist
the progress OF business by means OF
merely penal restriction. The pro-
| posal Of the government prac-
tically amounted 10 nothing.
/ NJ L,.ssh nod fasloI ~ o-nIafx ti,c ALL